No, they played "Into Hiding" but this tour is in support of Halo, so they played a lot of newer stuff, which was fine with me. Their last three albums are among my favorites in their discography and they played 9 songs from them, altogether. What's your favorite Borknagar album? I'm hoping they play the shit out of True North. That album is just about flawless.

This is going to sound like an exaggeration considering how many shows I have been to in my lifetime, but the Borknagar show was one of the best shows I have ever been to in my life! I think much of it has to do with the fact I had two full unknown years whether or not this show was ever actually going to happen. The anticipation and wait was so worth it! "Cold runs the river, warm runs my blood!"

Completely agree! ICS Vortex quickly vaulted himself to the top of my list of favorite performers I've ever seen. I was totally mesmerized. His playing and his singing.... goddamn. I just wish they could have played longer than 45 minutes. Rotting Christ was fine but Borknagar deserved to be the headliner.

Yeah i discovered Spectral Wound through their latest album so i didn't really compare to their previous one. Stormkeep was right up my alley since i'm a sucker for Dissection-styled melodic black, looking forward to spinning that one a lot more in the coming week. The new Havukruunu EP is definitely great as well!

That is quite a compliment to Spectral Wound, honestly! I have friends that also have only heard the most recent album and absolutely love it. That tells you that their talent in the subgenre is still growing and reaching out to people, rather than people automatically going to their old material first! I do suggest Infernal Decadence for a future listen, though. If you are interested in physical format/vinyl, Stormkeep is my favorite artwork/vinyl appearance this year. I saw it even comes with an awesome map (I hope one day to get a vinyl copy from a U.S. distro). I also absoutely love my Felled UV coated sleeve/splatter vinyl and my orange Seth vinyl from this year.

I was looking at discogs and the vinyl was extremely expensive so i ended up ordering their cd from their label, maybe i will get the vinyl when i have saved up a bit and if the album grows a lot more on me which i'm sure it will. Pretty much everything i listen to on here is stuff i own physically. It's a lot of money but i'm an obsessed collector :P Managed to get the last Kekht Arakh LP before they sold out (they restocked a few now) but probably won't arrive until late January at best, discogs prices were brutal for that one.

This is a prime example of why I just love discussing music with others! Even with how much I find, there is always just so much more others find that they can suggest to me! I had not actually heard of Winter Lantern before. However, I literally had purchased an album days ago by the very same Carmilla II Dracul in a band called Bloodbells Chime. They have a more dungeon synth feel to their black metal and I absolutely love dungeon synth. However, that raw sound of Winter Lantern is so great! Thank you for the suggestion. I am just loving all of this female talent! Here are a few more female fronted talents from this year: https://winterlantern.bandcamp.com/album/forlorn-seas https://noctule.bandcamp.com/album/wretched-abyss https://mysticstorm.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-ancient-chaos https://grotblackmetal.bandcamp.com/ P.S. Welcome to Bandcamp. I found atmospheric black metal and revived my love for doom metal here. Let me know how you evolve over time, taste wise!

Thanks for the recs! I bought that Grot album a few weeks ago and loved it but I’ll check out the rest! I’ve also got Bloodbells Chime on my library ready to go as well! If I wanted to get into Doom Metal, what would be some good albums to start with? I’ve not explored that genre much.

I am going to send you an actual message referring to your doom metal question because that could be as broad or as specific of a question as you want with many, many bands for me to suggest! Watch in your inbox. I am excited because that is one of the newest genres I started diving into when I found Khemmis in 2016 and boy, am I glad I finally did!

What a birthday week I have had, music wise! A concert again at my favorite venue after two years, both my Cerebral Rot and Hooded Menace records came in the mail and I ordered the ColdWorld TheStarsAreDeadNow EP on vinyl! Happy birthday to me! Also, I have been absolutely obsessing over this album by a band called Felled. Folk black metal from Oregon. They use the violin so heavily layered into their music that it practically is its own guitar. It is such an amazing sound! https://felledblackmetal.bandcamp.com/album/the-intimate-earth-folk-black-metal

The new Windfaerer album is now the second album in a month that I have listened to that has violins that just add so much to the music. I absolutely love the album. I also was able to give the Dutch band Fluisteraars a listen to much of their discography. The new release is just fantastic and I also love their EP Gelderland that I heard! Oh. My. Goodness! After 23 years, we have an album name, album art, song names AND a single out from Darkwoods my Betrothed!!!!! The single is just killer. They walked right back into the black metal scene as if they have never even been gone. Symphonic black metal at its best! https://darkwoodsmybetrothed.bandcamp.com/album/angel-of-carnage-unleashed

Yes! I saw the preorder was up on Napalm Records. They have a limited crystal clear vinyl that I'm thinking of grabbing. That album has me really excited!

Thank you for letting me know they were up on Napalm Records already. I knew just to wait instead of impulse buying on Bandcamp the digital version. I just placed my order. Awesome!

I'm glad you like it! What have you been up to lately when you're not listening to music?

Hi again. I am spending the time today listening to Horn's oldest material. You were definitely correct when you said their music has progressed over the years! Particularly in production. Their music had a much more raw feel back in the day. The production is definitely cleaner now and they are using other instruments more prominently in recent years. I am loving the raw sound of their older material too, though. Adds to their atmosphere!

I definitely lean towards the black metal releases of this year, but there have been some fantastic traditional/heavy metal releases for me as well. One of those is by a band called Haunt. Here is the bandcamp link: https://hauntthenation.bandcamp.com/album/mind-freeze Haunt actually comes out with another album in July I look forward to. From a power metal side, I am looking forward to Judicator's album coming out, along with Falconer. Here is a link to Judicator: https://judicatormetal.bandcamp.com/album/let-there-be-nothing

Black metal is fun! I used to listen to almost exclusively black metal for the longest time! What are some of your favorite 2020 black metal albums? Haunt rules! They're such a fun band! Haven't heard of Judicator, but I soon will ha ha!

I wanted to let you know I sent you a message. Easier to communicate than on the comment section!😊

Woe's album Hope Attrition was most definitely one of my top albums of 2017. I did not realize they released an EP last year, thus I will definitely have to give it a listen! Although it is a trying time for the world, music has definitely been a highlight of this first half of the 2020 year. I miss concerts, but the live streams have been impressive, and I know it is to keep everyone safe. All the best to you right now.

Yeah, What's currently in your top 10 this year? I wish I had time for gigs only every now and again

This order is going to be a rough order, but based on just an inital first half of 2020 breakdown: 1. Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of The Nine 2. Winterfylleth – The Reckoning Dawn 3. Afsky - Ofte jeg drømmer mig død 4. Árstíðir lífsins - Saga á tveim tungum II: Eigi fjǫll né firðir 5. Deathwhite – Grave Image 6. Vvilderness – Dark Waters 7. Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre 8. Olhava – Ladoga 9. Warp Chamber - Implements of Excruciation 10. Paradise Lost - Obsidian Honorable mentions thus far to Haunt and Cosmic Putrefaction. Looking forward to Thrawsunblat and Ensiferum.